``Why was she silent when Rajiv Gandhi permitted shilanyas at the disputed site in Ayodhya? Why did she not condemn when Babri Masjid was demolished (sic)?''

Addressing the State Congress political convention and public meeting at Tirupati yesterday, Gandhi had attacked the BJP's allies for supporting a ``communal government'' and challenged them to withdraw support if they subscribed to religious tolerance.

Naidu countered Gandhi's charge that the BJP's allies were ``hypocritical and hollow'' in their condemnation of attacks on minorities. In a point-by-point rebuttal of Gandhi's allegations, Naidu said the Congress president was misleading the people byselectively raising issues of law and order and advised her to ``realise ground realities instead of reading speech copies prepared by local Congress leaders''.

On Gandhi's charge that the TDP government had neglected the welfare of the poor, Naidu dared her to implement the welfare programmes pioneered by his government in Congress-ruled states.

Taking strong objection to Gandhi questioning the TDP's secular credentials, Naidu wondered why she was silent when senior Congress leaders had suggested, during the All India Congress Committee session in Calcutta, that the party should tender public apology for Babri Masjid demolition.

Naidu, however, told reporters here his party never compromised on secularism and had to extend issue-based and conditional support to the BJP coalition to block the Congress' entry ``at a time when no other political formation was viable''.

``Our party was the first to condemn communal tendencies. We were the first to oppose Saraswati vandana and attempts to invoke Article356 in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and also condemn attacks on minorities in Gujarat and Orissa,'' the TDP Chief said.

Listing out a series of innovative schemes initiated by his government including the subsidised rice scheme, weaker sections housing, self-help groups and the Janmabhoomi scheme, he said they had become a ``role model for the entire country''.

``I am prepared for a national referendum on welfare programmes and I want Sonia Gandhi to react to my challenge,'' Naidu said.